


Trust fall

by AliaMael



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Character Study, Fluff, Gen, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Of basically everyone tagged (yes it got out of hand), Spoilers until the epilogue of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29592960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliaMael/pseuds/AliaMael
Summary: Zagreus never slows down, right? He doesn't sit, doesn't sleep…In truth, Zagreus is very good at ignoring his exhaustion. Until he's not anymore.Everyone is there to catch him, though.
Comments: 23
Kudos: 108
Collections: Hades Kink Meme





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt posted in the end notes =)

It is a well-known fact that the Prince of the Underworld has apparently limitless amounts of energy and cannot stay still for the life (or death) of him. He's always running around, dashing from a room to another, never sitting down, and even when he stops to talk with someone there's something full of _life_ and movement in how expressive he is, his smiles and grins and quips radiating attention and dynamism.

He is a God alright, and Gods don't usually need to sleep (Hypnos, _being_ Sleep, is of course an exception), but Gods _do_ need to rest. They sit, relax, lie down for a while… but not Zagreus, hyperactive Zagreus.

Thus, Zagreus does in fact sleep. Not that most people realize it, or how peculiar he is about it.

The thing is: Zagreus basically doesn't feel tiredness before he's already falling asleep. One second he's his energetic self, and the next he's unconscious, with no transition, or so close that it doesn't make a difference.

When he was still young enough for Nyx to fuss over him, she forced him to go to bed when she deemed it necessary (more than once giving up and asking for Hypnos' help to put the rebellious child to sleep), so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then… well, somehow no one noticed either.

(When Zagreus fell asleep over paperwork in the administrative chamber, his father berated him for being lazy and useless and– well, the usual.)

(When Zagreus fell asleep on Megaera after a particularly intense, ehem, _encounter_ , she prided herself on her skill and didn't question it further.)

But with his new habit to fight his way through the whole Underworld, Zagreus definitely uses more energy than before, which only leads to more… unexpected naps. _Then_ people start noticing.


	2. Hypnos

Hypnos is _not_ sleeping on the job. No sir! He's only, uh… OK, who is he kidding, he is totally sleeping on job number 2, but it's only to be able to do job number 1, which is not an excuse he knows, but–

He startles awake and looks around, expecting 1. Zagreus dashing toward him after yet another death or 2. Thanatos frowning at him in disapproval. He's totally unprepared for option 3: no one.

…

What did wake him up, anyway? He frowns, then remembers… something falling, and a splash?

… a splash?

Hypnos hovers to the Pool of Styx and blinks, confused. Zagreus is floating in the blood, face down, unmoving.

"Uh… Your Highness?"

No reaction.

"Zagreus?" Hypnos insists, a bit worried.

Still no movement. For maybe half a second, Hypnos considers panicking, but he is, after all, the God of Sleep, and so his senses scream at him that Zagreus is indeed fast asleep. In the Pool of Styx. After apparently trying to get out only to fall back in.

Hypnos hesitates, then carefully maneuvers Zagreus so he floats on his back instead. More comfortable that way. He gently brushes a finger against Zagreus' temple, making sure his sleep will stay calm and restful, then goes back to his post, ushering shades along while keeping an eye on his unconscious friend.

When Zagreus eventually wakes up and walks out of the Pool, he doesn't seem to realize he took a quite long nap. Hypnos doesn't comment.


	3. Achilles

When he first came to the House of Hades, Achilles found it difficult to stand still for such long periods of time, guarding a hallway more for the symbol than anything else, but by now he finds it almost meditative. He changed a lot, and he openly admits that the Prince helped him a lot along the way.

Said Prince always checks on him when he gets back from his attempts at escaping the Underworld, and Achilles can't help but smile at him, happy to see his student, and glad to know he's at last found something he really wants to do for _himself_.

(Achilles is a devoted servant to Lord Hades, but in the secrecy of his mind he allows himself to regret that the King of the Underworld doesn't show more love to his son.)

Zagreus comes running through the hallway, sliding to a stop in front of Achilles.

"Achilles, sir!" he greets him, grinning in that way of his, neither boastful nor mocking but gently radiant.  
"How is it going, lad? I take it that your last attempt went well?"

Zagreus laughs.

"Oh, if by _well_ you mean _exploded somewhere in Asphodel_ , then yes!"

Achilles flinches a bit. The lad is here, in front of him, unhurt and joking, but it's still not pleasant to imagine him going through that kind of gruesome death. Zagreus, at least, has the sense to look apologetic.

"Here, that's for you," he says, pushing a bottle of nectar in Achilles' hand.  
"Thank you, but you really shouldn't–"

Achilles has maybe one second of warning, when Zagreus' eyes unfocus, turning all glassy, then they close as Zagreus falls on him like a puppet with its strings cut.

The bottle crashes on the floor but Achilles doesn't even notice, too busy catching the Prince and holding him close.

"Zagreus?!"

Achilles' heartbeat is through the roof with panic, which makes the calm steadiness of Zagreus' even more jarring. When Achilles slowly lowers Zagreus to the floor, already checking him for injuries, he can find none.

Zagreus is just unconscious. He looks… peaceful.

 _He's asleep_ , Achilles suddenly thinks, but that's… people do not fall asleep like this, in the middle of a discussion, right?

(Except they do. He remembers teasing anecdotes from when he was alive, about a soldier who regularly did this. He was usually already lying down, though, but… Zagreus _never_ lies down.)

So Achilles carefully gathers Zagreus in his arms, stands, and realizes a good half-dozen of shades are staring, as is Dusa, hovering a few meters away, uncertain and visibly worried.

"He's alright," Achilles says, aiming for reassuring. "He just needs rest."  
"I– I'm glad, sir, really I am!" Dusa squeaks, before adding: "I– I'll take care of the mess."

Oh, yes, the broken glass and the puddle of nectar. No wonder they have witnesses, the sound was probably heard in half of the House.

Achilles steels himself and crosses the main hall in the direction of Zagreus' room. In the corner of his eyes, he can see Hades freeze upon seeing him carrying the sleeping Prince, but no comment comes so Achilles doesn't stop. When he passes Nyx, she gasps and hurries closer.

"He's asleep, Lady Nyx," Achilles explains before she can ask.  
"… I see."

He wonders what exactly she's seeing, but she's not stopping him so he goes on, entering the Prince's room to tuck him into bed.

He can't bring himself to leave him alone, and when Zagreus finally wakes up his first thought is worry about Achilles getting into trouble for abandoning his post.

It's in moments like that that Achilles secretly thinks of him as the God of Kindness.


	4. Megaera

Megaera is waiting for Zagreus just before the exit from Tartarus, idly twirling her whip. Considering how much faster he's getting lately, she has maybe two or three minutes tops before he comes in and she tries her best to send him back home.

Not that it works that often, by now.

It's infuriating, that he can beat her so consistently, but also… well, maybe, just _maybe_ , a tiny bit hot. Not that she'll _ever_ tell him that.

One minute passes. Megaera can't help but think back to the latest development about Zagreus, namely that, to basically everyone's surprise, he does sleep sometimes. She heard rumors first, about how Zagreus fell asleep on Achilles, and she didn't believe them. Not before Dusa shyly confirmed them, at least. And, well…

Since then, Zagreus has been found sleeping in the lounge on three separate occasions that she's aware of, once on the balcony above the Styx in the west hallway, and once he fell on Orpheus, who just barely managed to get his lyre out of the way before getting crushed by the dead weight of his Prince.

(On three of these occasions, Megaera had been the one to carry Zagreus to his bed. Achilles had done it once, and she thinks the last time was Nyx?)

Point is, Zagreus had always had a way of preventing things from getting boring, but this is still a surprise. Megaera isn't sure how she feels about Zagreus allowing himself to be that… vulnerable?

(She prefers thinking he _allows_ it. If he has absolutely no control over it… No, that's not possible. If he fell asleep in random chambers during his escape attempts he would be in the House far more often –and far more disgruntled.)

The door opens, bringing her focus back on the room.

"Hey Meg!" Zagreus calls happily, as if this was a casual, friendly encounter.  
"Zagreus," she acknowledges.

Then he wobbles and, just like that, passes out.

Megaera is fast, but not _that_ fast. They always begin their fights carefully out of direct reach of each other, for fuck's sake, it's not like she can dash and catch him!

So Zagreus falls on the floor, and if he was not a God he'd probably have a pretty impressive bruise on the side of his face. As it is, he seems fine. Megaera kneels next to him, unsure what to do. He only has superficial injuries… but now he's sleeping in front of her, as if this was a _safe_ place and not a chamber where they're supposed to try and kill each other.

She could kill him. It would be awfully easy.

… on the other hand, _technically_ her job is to force him back to the House, right? So she doesn't even need to kill him, if she brings him back.

She's not sure this explanation would satisfy Lord Hades but, well, killing Zagreus like this just doesn't feel fair. Or fun.

(Maybe, just maybe, he is weirdly cute like this. Not that the first of the Furies treats _cute_ things differently.)

She sighs, and picks Zagreus up. Time to put him to bed _again_.


	5. Thanatos

Thanatos doesn't like that Zagreus is always, always fighting and putting himself in harm's way, but he's known the man all his life and thus is painfully aware of how damn _stubborn_ Zagreus can be. And well, being Death itself, Thanatos is in a good position to know that some things are inevitable. Zagreus having his way just happens to be one of these things.

Thanatos can either turn a blind eye on what Zagreus is doing, or help him.

He tried doing the former, truth be told. But once he had reached out, he had been unable to _stop_.

So Thanatos appears in the chamber Zagreus just entered, scythe at the ready. His eyes immediately find Zagreus, who's looking around, searching for him. As soon has he sees Thanatos, Zagreus throws him a wide, happy smile. Thanatos scowls. They're not in the House, this is only a place of battle, wounds and death.

"Than! Nice to see you!"

… of course Zagreus would not care about all that.

Shades are already coalescing all around them. Thanatos checks his grip on his weapon, firmly decided to beat Zagreus in their "contest" for once (he's almost pained that Zagreus doesn't seem to catch his goal of _bloody letting him avoid a fight_ and jumps in with enthusiasm anyway each and every time).

Zagreus collapses.

" _Zagreus!_ "

In a blink, Thanatos is at his friend's side, checking him for injuries, feeling faint with _panic_. But Zagreus is only _asleep_ , and Thanatos very much wants to punch him. Instead he grabs him, holding him close while he methodically takes care of the shades trying to render them into pieces.

When the fight ends, Thanatos is shaking from the effort to stay _calm_.

"Zag…"

He winces at hearing the mess that is his voice, but Zagreus doesn't so much as twitch.

"Idiot, stupid, moron…"

Death Incarnate does _not_ lose his composure so easily. He does not. He still waits for his breath to come back to its regular rhythm and his whole body to stop shivering before he even tries to transport them both to the House.

(It's not even that he doesn't want to be seen like this. He's genuinely worried he would somehow fail and hurt Zagreus in the process.)


	6. Charon

Charon is mostly solitary, and it fits him. But by now he's gotten used to seeing Zagreus come and go.

Zagreus doesn't feel like family, despite being raised by Nyx. Charon's family is distant, and only composed of his mother and the twins, as far as he's concerned. He rarely sees them, even if Thanatos did drop by recently.

(Charon had listened with his typical silence to the extremely _un_ typical rambling of his baby brother going on and on about how Zagreus was falling asleep _everywhere_ and it was not _safe_ and Zagreus was so utterly imbecilic and… After long minutes, maybe the most Charon has heard Thanatos speak at once, Thanatos had grudgingly admitted that above all he was stressed out of his mind for his friend. Charon had tried to be reassuring, but Thanatos has elevated worrying to the rank of art so it probably didn't help much.)

But even though Zagreus is not family, Charon is fond of him, which is rare enough to be noted. Zagreus is always polite, respectful and friendly, when most people are uneasy in front of Charon. Even when the kid had tried to steal from Charon and taken a well-deserved beating, he came back with _apologies_ that felt as sincere as the rest of his overall attitude. Which was why Charon had not backed down on his bet with Hermes and let a pile a coins in Zagreus' reach once again instead of simply hiding it like he usually does. The next time Zagreus had tried to steal from him, it had been with an impish grin and his eyes firmly on Charon. Playfully. 

Brat.

Charon is perfectly alright being alone, but Zagreus' visits are always welcomed.

He lets Zagreus chatter, and keep an eye on him mostly so he can check if the kid will go for a fight this time, but for now at least Zagreus is focused on Charon's wares.

One second Zagreus is looking between a boon and a pomegranate, considering, and the next Charon is catching him before he brains himself on the stone pedestal holding the fruit.

Charon gently shakes him, but Zagreus is fast asleep and seems determined to stay in this state. He's a ragdoll in Charon's arms, and now Charon understands a little better why Thanatos is all but falling apart from anxiety. Not that Charon is worried himself, after all Zagreus never was in any danger from his random bouts of unconsciousness. But the brutal switch is surprising, and with the way Thanatos processes emotions…

Well. Charon gets it.

So, for the peace of mind of his brother, Charon carefully puts Zagreus down in his boat and, without a sound, allows the Styx to bring them to the House of Hades.


	7. Eurydice

Eurydice might live on her own in the middle of Asphodel, but let's be real: shades have nothing better to do than _gossip_ and so the Underworld is the grapevine that puts all others to shame. So of course Eurydice has heard rumors of Zagreus forgetting that beds are better places to sleep than the middle of a hallway.

When he comes in as energetic as ever, it's a little difficult to believe, but the rumors did insist that it was not easy to read on his face. Just in case, Eurydice pays a tiny bit more attention.

"Hey, hon! Doing good?"

Zagreus nods, smiling.

"What are you cooking?" he asks. "It smells delicious." 

Eurydice grins.

"Tut tut Your Royal Majesty, no way I'll give away my secrets so eas– _woah!_ "

Her ladle splashes into her cauldron, dropped without a thought while Eurydice lunges toward Zagreus to grab him before he can fall backward. Blood and darkness, she lives in the middle of _lava_! Good for warmth and cooking, _not_ good for diving!

"Hon? Zagreus?"

No reaction. He's slumped against her, a dead weight. She gives herself a handful of seconds to catch her breath, then sighs. Technically Zagreus would survive falling in the lava (well, he would die and come back), but she's still in no hurry to see it.

She drags him to her bed, glad that her place is small because there's no way she could bring him even two meters farther. When he's finally lying down, she stares for a while. In sleep, he looks peaceful in a way he never truly manages awake, and it's a sobering realization. How much of his cheer is a front, exactly?

She's well aware that she should direct that question at herself first, but right now she's not in the mood for that kind of introspection, so she shakes herself and goes fishing for her ladle, singing softly. When Zagreus will wake up, she's going to make him eat a feast worth and if she has to sit on it to keep him from running away, so be it.

(When he does wake up, he's too busy apologizing again and again to think of running away. Well, at least it's easy to use his willingness to earn her forgiveness to feed him.)

(He's cute when he's all embarrassed.)


	8. Hypnos (again)

"Drowning, really? Have you tried not going for a swim, maybe?"  
"... I fell asleep in a fountain."  
"... oh."


	9. Theseus (& Asterius)

When the doors of the Stadium open, Theseus is –alas– not surprised to see that foul daemon calling himself "Zagreus". Through some devious and unloyal tricks, the fiend always manages to come back, more persistent than a cockroach. And, as the insect, he is just annoying enough to deserve to be squashed, but nothing more.

"Prepare yourself, monster," Theseus calls out, "for we shall free Elysium from your despicable existence!"

The fiend _ignores_ Theseus, turning to Asterius instead.

"Hello Asterius, how is it going?"  
"Good, short one."

Theseus is _incensed_ that the blackguard _dares_ , again and again, talk so freely to Asterius and try to drive a wedge between them. The only thing keeping him from making sure the daemon can never speak a word anymore is that Asterius would find it exaggerated.

Asterius is decidedly too forgiving.

"Let us fight, you foul daemon!" Theseus cuts.

The fiend goes on staring at Asterius… and his sword falls from his hand, clattering on the floor, before his body follows in a pathetic lump.

Theseus is ashamed to admit that for one or two seconds he's genuinely taken aback, wondering what happened to the fiend before he entered the Stadium to lead to such an embarrassing display. Of course, he shakes himself out of it quickly.

"What unspeakable scheme is this? Stand and receive justice from our hands!"  
"I don't think it's a trick, King," Asterius comments.  
"It– what? What do you mean, Asterius?"

Asterius approaches the fallen fiend and Theseus flinches upon seeing how open for attack his trusting stance leaves him. But nothing happens. Asterius kneels next to the daemon.

"He's asleep," he says after observing him.

Theseus blinks.

"What."

Asterius gathers the fiend in his arms and stands. The daemon's head lolls back pitifully.

"He's asleep," Asterius repeats.

Theseus gapes.

"But– How– _How dare he?!_ " he finally settles on. "No one chooses _sleep_ over a righteous fight with the champion of Elysium! Wake him up!"  
"Maybe we should let him sleep, King. If he were to fight in this state, the battle would be unbecoming of us."  
"… I hate how right you are, Asterius. This blackguard now robbed us of our due. There is really nothing too low for him. How awfully he debases himself just for the benefits of insulting us!"

Asterius throws him that look Theseus knows too well, the one that means "I disagree with something you just said but I'll humor you". Theseus scowls. There is nothing wrong in his assessment of the situation!

"What are you doing?" he asks when Asterius starts walking toward the living quarters underneath the seating.  
"Putting him to bed."

Theseus follows grudgingly, just to make sure the fiend doesn't stab Asterius while his guard is down.

(Despite what Asterius tells him a few minutes later, he's _not_ sulking.)

(When he _finally_ wakes up, the foul daemon proceeds to beat them, which is only proof that Theseus was right and it was a nefarious plan all along.)


	10. Cerberus

Cerberus is in the Temple again, awaiting the young master. The master ordered him to stay there and not move, but the young master is the one who's always petting him and calling him "good boy" and offering him treats. Cerberus will stay long enough to bask in the young master's affection, but if he wants him to move, he'll move.

The young master finally comes in, pets Cerberus and goes looking for the delicious treats hidden in the too small hallways. He's back soon enough and Cerberus already salivates at the smell of the treat he carries.

The young master puts the treat down in front of Cerberus and reaches out to scratch him behind the ear, cooing praise all along.

Usually, at this point, the young master backs up to allow Cerberus to retrieve his treat and leave. Now, though, the young master slumps against him. He stops scratching, he stops praising, and Cerberus whimpers.

He awkwardly moves his heads to look over his _other_ head. The young master is asleep against his fur, and so Cerberus does what any good dog would do. He maneuvers to gentle grab the young master's clothes in one of his mouths, lifting him like a dozing puppy, and brings him home.

(Cerberus has several heads, and thus he _also_ grabs the treat with another one.)

Back in the House, Cerberus lies down on his comfy bed and puts the young master down between his front paws. There. All safe.

Satisfied, Cerberus turns his attention to his well-earned treat.


	11. Persephone

Persephone is back in the House of Hades, and to be perfectly honest she's still having a hard time remembering it's _real_. It feels almost too good to be true. Her son, alive and well, her husband still welcoming her after she ran away…

She's _happy_.

But even if she still feels like she's dreaming sometimes, it doesn't mean she's blind. Thanatos, Hypnos and Megaera are definitely plotting _something_ , and given how Thanatos immediately looks guilty when she looks toward them, it's something related to her. (Megaera is way better at keeping a straight face, and Hypnos just smiles at her each and every time.)

Eventually, it's Hypnos who approaches her, and she thinks he might have lost a bet or something to become the spokesperson of the trio.

He explains how Zagreus tends to use his energy to the extreme limit before dropping unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Persephone is a little surprised. She has seen how dynamic her son is, how he doesn't know how to slow down, but she has seen no hint of the consequences so far.

"Ah, it doesn't happen _so_ often, you know," Hypnos says, "and I'm sure when you two met on the surface he was far too excited to see you to fall asleep! We just, wanted to be sure you wouldn't worry if it happens, right?"  
"Thank you," Persephone smiles. "That's most kind of you."

Hypnos beams at her, then glances at Hades and hurries back to his post.

When Zagreus does collapse on her during one of their discussions a few days (or nights) later, she's glad she got a warning. As it is, it's surprising but adorable to see her son fall asleep like this, but if she hadn't known… yes, she would have panicked. She hugs him closer, preventing him from falling on the floor. She can feel his calm and steady heartbeat, and suddenly she realizes she never got to see her son sleep before, never got to sing her baby a lullaby while tucking him into bed…

Tears threaten to overwhelm her, but it's only part regret for what never was. She's _thankful_ she now has another chance, so even if these would be (mostly) happy tears she firmly pushes them away.

Hades sighs and gets up.

"I'll put the boy to bed," he says.

Persephone is surprised by the offer, and can't help but think that it's so very typical of her husband. Being kind to his son only when said son cannot be aware of it.

"I'll do it," she answers firmly.  
"You… will do it?" Hades asks.

She nods.

"I never got to put my baby to bed. I want to do it now."

Hades' dubious look at Zagreus is crystal clear. She knows Zagreus is not a baby anymore but a grown man, taller than her, but…

People tend to think of her as either the Queen of Underworld or the Goddess of Gardening. While "gardening" is a bit… derogatory for what she actually does, it's not that far off the mark. But people just think "pretty flowers" when they should remember that she tends to all plants, from the smallest blade of grass to the majestic trees. And planting stuff is _hard work_.

So, yes, she's not built like a warrior. She's not one. She's a gardener, and on the surface she tended to her garden _alone_.

She takes a deep breathe and heave Zagreus to position him across her shoulders. She might not have enough strength in her arms to carry him like Hades would, but this? She can do. She moved enough fertile soil around to build her garden. She _is_ strong.

She barely registers Orpheus gasping in shock. The starstruck look in her husband's eyes is far more entertaining.

She allows herself a small smile and carries her son to his room. She slowly, lovingly tucks him into bed, feeling emotional all over again. She caresses a lock of hair away from his temple, and bends to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Sleep well, my child."


	12. Hades

Hades is outside the Temple of Styx, waiting for his son. The boy rarely fails to destroy his way through the whole of the Underworld, now, so these encounters have become quite a habit.

It's… easier. Somehow. To talk to the boy here, almost outside the Realm of the Dead.

Hades knows that the boy would definitely not call what they do "talking", but… it's a start. Maybe, with time, the very worst of their wounds can scar over and let them try something new.

He knows now how deeply he hurt his son. And while he had plenty _reasons_ to act as he did… reasons are not excuses. But the boy brought back Persephone. Bridged the chasm between Chtonics and Olympians. Hades isn't enough of a fool to pretend the boy might _want_ to forgive him, but he sure is a fighter for building anew on top of the past.

Blood and darkness, the boy even went as far as to _go back_ into the administrative chamber to make sure mere shades had the opportunity to _try_ again. He's deeply dedicated to the idea.

(Hades remembers his son falling asleep in said administrative chamber, and he now understands what it means. At that point, Zagreus might have hated him… but he still felt at least marginally _safe_ around him.)

(And then, it never happened again, that basic trust destroyed in a careless scolding.)

Hades can't change the past, but he's slowly patching up his relationship with his wife, and… he's proud of his son. He might not be ready to say it (and Zagreus might not be ready to _hear_ it), but it's true nonetheless. Zagreus is nothing of what Hades wanted him to be, but the man –the _God_ – he became is someone Hades is glad to know.

Zagreus will never have the endlessly reliable organization that Hades favors, but in his own, very different way, he _does_ better things around him. Betters _people_.

Opens the possibility to repair what was thought broken beyond hope.

For now, Hades can't say any of that, but he takes pleasure in their fights here in their private snow-covered arena. Slowly, so very slowly, they feel a bit less fueled by hatred, and maybe, if he dares hope, a bit more playful.

Hades forces himself to stay where he is, waiting for his son with his back to the Temple, but he's beginning to wonder if the boy will really make it this time. Maybe he died to the poison of a satyr. Maybe he just fell asleep on Cerberus once more, and the dog brought him back to the House.

Then the doors open. Hades doesn't trust himself to speak first, so he lets Zagreus set the tone.

"Aren't you getting bored of just standing there, waiting for me? I'm sure you have paperwork much more entertaining than the water you're staring at."

Hades turns toward the boy and is not surprised in the slightest to see a cocky grin on his lips.

"You're the one forcing me to abandon my work, boy. You'd better not waste my time any more."

The boy laughs at that, and–

his spear slips from his fingers and–

Hades is frozen in shock.

The boy is asleep. The boy is _asleep_. He's alone with Hades and he's _asleep_.

Hades somehow manages to break out of his paralysis, walking carefully to the boy. (Asleep.) He kneels next to him. (He's asleep.)

(It means nothing. It means _everything_.)

(Zagreus trusts him to not kill him on sight, and it's such an improvement that Hades feels lightheaded.)

He lifts the boy, cradles him to his chest. (Blood and darkness, Zagreus is not a baby anymore, but suddenly Hades understand what his wife meant.) (He had carried Zagreus exactly like this a few times, just after his rebirth, when Nyx was still too exhausted to take care of him all the time.) (He should never have stopped.)

Hades stands, the warmth of his son in his arms threatening to melt a block of ice he wasn't even aware had overtaken his heart.

"We're going home, Zagreus. My son."

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
>
>> Zagreus may be able to stay up for several days at a time, but when he crashes he crashes hard. Sometimes he falls asleep before he can get to his bed, leading to whoever finds him to carry him to his room. Every member of the House has done this at least a few times.  
> Rarely it happens during a run, but when it does it is in Charon’s shop, fountain rooms, friend chambers, and sometimes boss rooms (depending on the boss.)
>> 
>> +++Theseus loudly complaining if Zagreus falls asleep before their fight.  
> +++Hades cradling him like he did when he was a baby.  
> +++Persephone fireman carrying him before tucking him in.  
> +++Cerberus holding his clothing in one of his mouths, as if Zagreus was a puppy.


End file.
